“And if your life hadn’t been in danger and we’d showed you what we were?” Gunnar said, shutting the door behind him and carrying the pot full of snow across the room to the fire. “What then? Is your vow of secrecy only out of gratitude because your life was in danger?”
Dakota turned her head and looked at Gunnar.
“Would you really have shown me otherwise?”
“Yes,” both Gunnar and Axel said in unison without a second’s hesitation.
Her mouth dropped open in obvious surprise.
“Seriously?”
Gunnar set the cooking pot on the hearth to warm.
Then he sat down on the other side of her from Axel and touched his fingers to her cheek in a tender caress.
“I was only waiting until we were off the mountain. I wanted you to know me. Not me pretending to be my brother.”
She looked back and forth between them, and then a frown furrowed her brow. “You need to share a woman,” she said hesitantly, “because you need both your sperm to impregnate her.”
He and Gunnar both nodded.
“I can’t be that woman. I don’t want to get pregnant.”
“Ever?” Axel asked, his heart nearly seizing up on him. He desperately wanted children. He’d been brought up in a big, loving family, and he wanted to expand that family, give their fathers grandchildren.
She frowned. “No, I don’t mean that. I’m just not ready. I’m only twenty-four. I…” She swallowed hard.
“No. Not ready for that. Four babies?”
A little relief ebbed through him. She wasn’t saying no forever, just for now. There was still hope. He glanced at Gunnar, then back to Dakota. “I wore a condom this last time, and if—when—we have you again, we’ll both wear protection. We’d never trap you or harm you in any way, honey. We hope you believe that.”
She nodded quickly. “I do. I know. You made that clear earlier.” Then a slow grin parted her lips. “When, not if?”
Gunnar chuckled. “When, sugar. When.”
Axel finally checked his watch. It was just after six.
If plans went as they should, their brothers would be heading out to find them very soon, being that they were now an hour behind schedule for their rendezvous at the trailhead. He’d give it about three more hours, and with luck, they’d be dug out and on their way back to Leavenworth. He prayed everyone followed the protocol they’d set up years before for this kind of emergency but had never needed to use.
Three hours. That should give them plenty of time for food and more. He pressed a fast, hard kiss to Dakota’s lips. “The when will be soon. After dinner.”
He winked, realizing he was famished and all they’d have to eat tonight was mac and cheese, some freeze-dried meat and maybe, for desert, a granola bar.
“Oh?”
Axel got up and reached for his clothes.
“Oh, yeah,” Gunnar said, then kissed her and stood up. “There’s a whole lot of that gorgeous body we still need to explore.”
She grinned up at him even as her cheeks turned a little pink.
In that instant, he knew that nothing had ever felt more right. The three of them. Not just in the sack, but being together, sharing a space, laughing, teasing.
Loving.
He pulled on his sweater and turned to look down at Dakota. “You’re okay, right? We didn’t do anything…too outrageous?”
Her grin grew, as did the sparkle in her eyes. “I’m great, Axel. Thank you for asking.” She flicked her pink tongue over her bottom lip. “I’m thinking there’s not much you could do that I’d say no to.”
Axel growled and had a hell of a time pulling himself away from simply gazing at her, even if it was just to gather up supplies to start dinner. “We’re taking you up on that in about—” he glanced at his watch, quickly calculating how long it would take to boil water and make macaroni, “—an hour.”
Dakota laughed. “I’ll be waiting.”
They’d need to hurry if they wanted one more round with her before the family arrived. He was sure the entire clan would show up for the rescue effort.
That was the kind of family they were.
* * *
Dakota rolled left, searching for one of the two warm bodies that had pressed against her for the last few hours. When she found nothing but cold floor, she rolled right, reaching out for the other one. Nothing.
She frowned and buried her face in her pillow. She was cold, and Axel and Gunnar had abandoned her.
But then her frown eased into a smile as she recalled all they’d done to her body before she’d fallen into an exhausted, satisfied heap.
Because she was cold and had to pee, she finally opened her eyes. Yep, the fire was out in the fireplace.
How odd. They hadn’t let the fire burn down since the moment they’d arrived at the cabin. Wait. She could see. There was a lot of light in the cabin. Bright, white light.
She jerked up to a seated position and yelped when she saw the group of men sitting and standing around the small table in the kitchen, lit by several halogen lanterns. Jerking the blanket to her neck, she wanted to bury herself under the rug. The entire family was there!
“Hey, sweetheart,” Gunnar said with a smile as he moved across the room toward her and away from the bundle of guys, some of whom she’d never seen before. “We’re rescued.”
Her stomach knotted. “I can see that,” she muttered through clenched teeth.
“And our dads brought some hot, freshly brewed coffee.” He knelt next to her, blocking her view of the rest of the group, and offered her a steaming cup.
She glanced down at herself, then pointedly frowned at him.
His gaze met hers. He gave her a silent, “Ah,” and turned toward the table of men. “Okay, guys. Clear out. We’ll be ready in about twenty minutes.”
As the men headed for the door, one of the two older men she hadn’t met before—albeit the family resemblance was remarkable—grumbled about
“ungrateful whelps.”
“Next time you could try digging through the six feet of snow,” one of Gunnar’s brothers said. She heard humor behind the words, but still….
“Six feet? You could have dug us out?”
Gunnar rolled his eyes.
“Hey, honey,” Axel said, stepping out of the bathroom. “I got your stuff together, and a tub of warm water in there for you to wash up.” He flung his arm out toward the bathroom.
“Six feet? We weren’t really trapped?”
Gunnar looked a bit sheepish when he gave her a little shrug and a half grin. “Well, maybe more than six, but apparently the house was pretty much the end of the avalanche zone.”
She knew her irritation wasn’t from the fact they hadn’t dug themselves out. It was because all those…cat men…had seen her half-naked, and she was sure it was obvious to every one of them what she’d been doing with their brothers or sons.
Gunnar’s and Axel’s Cheshire cat grins didn’t help matters either.
Gripping the blanket tight around her, she scrambled to her feet, gave both men a good glare then stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door.
She heard Axel mutter, “And I thought she’d be in a better mood if we let her sleep a little longer.”
* * *
Dakota’s thoughts were troubled as she buried her nose in Axel’s back, hugged him closer and kept her gloved hands tucked inside his jacket pockets.
“Not much farther,” he hollered over his shoulder and the sounds of revved motors. Unwilling to lift her face into the wind, she answered with a nod that rubbed her cold nose against his jacket.
For a moment, she smiled at the memory of two grown men playing rock, paper, scissors to see who would get to drive with her as a passenger. Gunnar lost, so he now sat in catamount form—because there wasn’t a spare set of winter clothes for him—on the back of another snowmobile, his big paws on the shoulders of one of his other brothers.
The ride back made the return trip
a lot faster than their hike to the cabin. The trouble was Dakota was unsure she wanted her adventure to end.
A part of her wanted to say to hell with the rest of the world. Stay in the moment as Axel had suggested.
But that moment was over. It was time for her to face reality.
She had a life, a career, back in Vegas. Nothing had brought that home to her more than seeing the curious glances of the other Falke men. Her awkward embarrassment over having their tryst uncovered by the whole family didn’t help either. And, though Axel had introduced her to his fathers and they’d been nice to her, she could sense a nervous uncertainty in the air.
As incredible as the Falke brothers were, they were shifters. They needed a woman willing to mate with them, carry their children and live in some strange fantasy world where men could turn into big, predatory cats.
The sex had been amazing, but it wasn’t enough to build a relationship on, and her future wasn’t in Washington. She was an outsider.
The wind died down though the night’s chill remained. The motor slowed, and the snowmobile came to a stop at the rendezvous area, which was illuminated by lights from several four-wheel drive vehicles.
Axel’s hand covered her arm. A gentle squeeze.
“We’re here, honey.”
She hugged him close, savoring her final moment with him. Then, taking a deep breath, she let go, climbed off the snowmobile and turned to face the real world.
“Oh, my God!” Carrie screamed, skidding to a stop and wrapping Dakota in a breath-stealing bear hug.
“You’re alive. Thank God. When I heard about the avalanche, I was so scared.”
“Yeah,” Dakota mumbled, pulling away but letting Carrie dominate the conversation.
“I bet you were terrified.” Her friend tugged her toward an SUV where Heidi stood talking with the family patriarchs. “Are you hurt? You look fine.”
“What? Uh, yeah. I’m okay.”
“Hey, Dakota.”
She stopped at the greeting to see Ted, Carrie’s fiancé, holding the door of the SUV open for her. “Hi.”
“I’m glad you’re all right.”
“Thanks.” Was she all right? She felt…numb.
“Wow,” Carried continued. “I can’t believe this happened. When Heidi showed up to tell me, I freaked out. We’ve been glued to the two-way radio ever since we heard the cabin was buried. They were gonna have to dig you out, and no one knew if anyone was alive in there.”
“Here. I’ll take care of that.” Ted took the backpack off her shoulders and went to toss it in the SUV’s cargo area. He’d just returned when-“Whoa! What the fuck?” Ted yanked Carrie away from Dakota.
A soft purr sounded by Dakota’s hip. A tender nudge. She looked down at Gunnar…Falke.
“It’s okay,” she said, reaching out to scratch behind the cat’s ears.
Are you all right? Gunnar asked, his voice in her head.
“That’s a-a cougar,” Ted said, keeping Carrie behind him.
“I’m all right,” Dakota said, staring into the cat’s upturned eyes. She smiled and looked at Ted. “He’s just a pretty little pussy cat.”
Carrie stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“That’s no pussy cat.”
Meow. Gunnar nuzzled her hand. At least you think I’m pretty.
Dakota chuckled, but her amusement was short-lived. She did think he was pretty, inside and out, a very handsome man, and that’s why she had to go.
Someone behind her called, “Falke,” and the cat grudgingly trotted away.
“Well, uh,” Ted began. “We best get in the vehicle now. It’s late, and you must be exhausted.”
Dakota hesitated, glancing back to where Axel stood next to the snowmobiles. He was watching her, but answering questions from a man in a yellow search and rescue jacket. There was also an ambulance standing by, its engine running but no lights flashing.
Apparently the cavalry had been called in just in case there’d been injuries or worse. She trembled at the thought. Despite the teasing from the other brothers earlier about digging out, the danger had been real.
“Oh, damn. You probably just want to forget this whole nightmare, don’t you?” Carrie said.
“No. I…” She could never forget the Falkes, but neither could she stay in their world. “Um…Yeah, we should go.”
Dakota turned away from Axel and Gunnar and let her friend guide her into the backseat of the SUV. Ted climbed into the front passenger seat to wait for the driver.
“Let’s get you back to the resort,” Carrie said, wrapping her arm around Dakota and acting like an overprotective mother hen. “We can change to an earlier flight. Let’s leave tomorrow. I’m sure you’re not up to skiing or anything. And we should call your parents back.”
That woke her up. “You called my parents?”
Carrie frowned. “Well, yes. They had a right to know their only daughter might be buried alive on a mountain. I mean, I would want to know.”
Dakota groaned and held out her hand. “Give me your phone.” Knowing her parents, they’d be on the first plane out of Boulder headed for Washington. She flipped open the phone Carrie handed her and punched in the number to her mother’s cell.
Heidi got in the driver’s seat and turned to look back. “All set?”
The phone rang once. “Hello! Carrie? Is that you?
How’s Dakota? Do you know anything yet?” Her mother sounded distraught, which made Dakota want to flog her friend.
“Mom, it’s me.”
“Oh, thank God. Dakota, Carrie said—”
“I know, Mom. I’m fine. No, not a scratch. What?
You’re where? The airport!” Just as she’d thought. She glared at Carrie, who cringed and mouthed I’m sorry.
“Guess so,” Heidi muttered good-naturedly and turned to crank the engine.
“No, tell Dad you don’t have to fly here. I’m fine. I promise.” She glanced out the window as they started to move and saw Axel and Falke staring at the vehicle in which she sat. She swallowed hard and let out a slow breath. It was time to go back to the real world.
“We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
Chapter Eight
Gunnar pulled the Grand Cherokee up in front of the resort, threw it into Park and jumped out. Axel, riding shotgun, was practically on his heels. The doorman opened the glass and chrome door as they approached.
Heidi told them this morning that she’d overheard Dakota on the phone with her parents, telling them she’d be leaving first thing in the morning. It was almost ten. Dakota might be gone. His heart thundered in his chest as he approached the front counter to inquire about her.
Axel grabbed his arm, pulling him up short. “She’s there,” he said, his voice a low growl of relief as he tipped his chin toward the coffee shop just off the lobby.
The breath whooshed out of Gunnar, and the churning in his gut eased a bit. She hadn’t left yet. The brothers headed through the arched opening into the bustling cafe. As they approached her table, Dakota had her head down searching for something in a massive purse. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, her clothes stylish and reserved, less like the free-spirited hiking beauty he knew and more like the businesswoman she was. She sat with her friend Carrie and Carrie’s boyfriend. Gunnar couldn’t remember the guy’s name. It didn’t matter. Only Dakota mattered.
Dakota looked up from her bag when they stopped next to the table, but Carrie spoke first. “Hey, how you doin’?”
Dakota’s eyes widened a bit. Eyes outlined in dusky makeup. Her lips were painted with a soft rose color. She almost didn’t look like the same woman.
“Wh-what’re you doing here?” she asked, her voice soft and sweet, her chocolate eyes deep, soulful. Yes, definitely the same woman. The one he loved.
Axel pulled a slip of paper from his inside jacket pocket. “You didn’t get your receipt. I thought you might need it for your records…or something.”
God, that sounded
lame, Gunnar thought.
Dakota took the receipt from Axel’s fingers and unfolded it. This time when she looked back at them, temper sparked in those gorgeous eyes. “That’s…quite a discount.”
Axel shrugged. “With the avalanche and all—”
“And all?” she asked, her voice rising. “And all, huh?” Her eyes narrowed on Axel, and she stood up, picking up that big, leather purse and slinging the straps over her shoulder. The pale pink sweater she wore looked soft and hugged every curve. “If you think that you owe me for—” She stopped, glancing at Carrie and the boyfriend. “Excuse us,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Yeah,” the guy said. “We’ll get the breakfast bill and meet you in the car. But don’t take too long.
We’ve got to get on the road.”
Dakota stalked off.
“Nice meeting you,” Carrie called after Gunnar and Axel as they followed Dakota out of the coffee shop.
They went through the lobby and around a corner leading to the first-floor rooms. She stopped and whirled on them. “You two are not paying me for sex,” she hissed and waved the receipt in their faces. “What the hell do you take me for?”
“What? No, that’s not—” Axel stuttered a few more uhs and ahs, but Gunnar had a better idea. He stepped forward, pulled her hard against his body and dropped his mouth to hers. She shoved at his shoulder for the briefest moment, the paper receipt crinkling, but then her entire body melded with his, and she opened her mouth on a soft moan, giving him access. He sank his tongue inside to taste her. His cock hardened against her belly, and it took all of his willpower not to grind against her and push her up against the wall.
“No,” she moaned as she pulled back and dropped her forehead to his shoulder. “No, Gunnar.”
“We’re not paying for sex, sweetheart,” he murmured in her ear. “I swear. The markdown was because of the avalanche, the wolf and the fear you suffered when you paid for and expected fun, safety, and relaxation. We’d never think of y—”
“Gun,” Axel said softly.
Falke’s Peak pn-1 Page 13